Spring-clasp



(No Model.)

1 J. J. UNBEHEND.

SPRING CLASP.

No. 368,630. Patented Aug. 23, 1887.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,630, dated August 23, 1887. Application filed June 2, 1887. Serial No. 240,028. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAooB J. UNBEHEND, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Clasps, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in what are termed spring-clasps, for use upon articles of wearing-apparel and of foot-wear; and it has for its object the production of a clasp which shall contain to a greater extent than heretofore the necessary amount of spring tension to securely hold or retain the tongue in its closed or open position, and at the same time to so simplify the manufacture of the dc vice as to bring the cost of production to the minimum figure; and to this end the invention consists, essentially, in a spring-clasp having the frame-plate thereof constructed so as to obviate the formation of depressions or sockets in the material to support the tongue-pivots, as hereinafter fully described; also in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In specifying my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which, like letters indicating corresponding parts in all the figures, Figure 1 is a plan View of one of the blanks composing'my improved springclasp. Fig. 2 shows a like view of the other blank. Fig. 3 shows the parts of my clasp assembled, and illustrates more particularly the general arrangement of the parts in their operative position. Fig. at is a detached edge view of the tongue. Fig. 5 shows an edge view of the spring-clasp assembled in operative position, the tongue being partially open for the purpose of showing the action of the lapping ends of the extended arms of the blanks composing the spring-plates; and Fig. 6 is an isometric view with the tongue partly open for the purposes of further illustration.

A, Figs. 3, 5, and 6, represents the-springclasp frame assembled ready for use. The said frame is composed, preferably, of plates ac, Figs. 1 and 2, the said plates being stamped or struck up of thin sheet metal having sufficient elasticity to exert tension on the tongue when the clasp is made up by assembling the parts and impart the necessary spring to'hold the tongue in its open and closed position. The plate a in this example of my invention is what I term the top plate, and is pro vided with the side arms or extensions, 0 c, and with the excisions or cutouts [2, formed, preferably, upon the inner edges on that portion of the extending arms represented by c.

The object of providing the extending arms, or that portion thereof denoted by c, wilh excisions or cut-outs b is to form sockets for the tonguc'pivots without weakening the metal of the side arms or involving the difficulty of construction which occurs in the spring-clasp devices heretofore made, where the tonguepivots are sustained in hook-shaped sockets, or sockets formed by depressing the material of the side arms for a portion of the width, and I utilize the excisions bfor use as sockets, by elongating the side arms or extensions 0 suficiently to provide metal enough to fold, on the dotted line at m, Fig. 1, back over the excision, which thereby leaves a recess or depression, into which the pintle p of the tonguepivot may be j ournaled.

It will be observed that the excisions b are oppositely arranged-that is, in this example of my invention, both are arranged on the in: ner edges of the extended arms of the blankand that the excisions may be formed simultaneously or with the same operation which strikes out the plate a.

In the form or example of my invention herein illustrated I have shown the claspframe A to be constructed of two such plates, and the bottom plate thereof is composed of the blank a, which also has extending arms 0, provided with the excisions b, andwhen the plates are assembled the excisions Z) b in both plates coincide, thus increasing the depth of the recess twofold, to allow the employment of the square pintle p, Fig. 4, which is composed of a double fold of metal, as described in my patent of February 23, 1886, No. 336,769.

If it is desired to use an angular pintle of a single fold of metal in connection with a twofold frame, the base-plate a need not be provided with the excisions 1), since the excisions in the top plate will form the depressions or Ice sockets, While the side arms of the base-plate a serve as a bottom to the sockets to retain the pintles or tongue-pivots in position.

The object of elongating the extensions 0 c of the top plate, as illustrated at c c, Fig. 1, is to provide the curved depending stops B, which serve to keep the slotted plate from drawing under when used in connection with my improved spring-clasp. Furthermore, the lapping ends of the extensions 0 c c 0' form auxiliary springs,which serve to exert an increased tension on the tongue-pivots, thus increasing the security of the hold of the tongue to the frame-plate in-its open and closed positions. This desirable result is secured by making the excision in the blank as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, which causes the pivotsof the tongue to bear against the free end of the fold of the extending arm; and when the tongue is operated the angular pintle exerts its pressure both against the top and bottom plates of the frame and also against the lapping ends 0 c c c.

In this example of my invention it will be understood that I have illustrated my preferred plan of construction, which involves the use of 'two spring-plates, a a; but I do not desire to restrict myself to this number of plates. I have also illustrated the excision shaped in angular form to conform to the contour of an angular or flat-sided pintle. I do not restrict myself, however, to this particular shape of the excision or of the pintle, as it is obvious that the form may be varied without departing from the principle of my invention.

The essential characteristic of the invention, as stated, consists in a blank stamped out with the necessary excision in the extending arms, whereby the spring-clasp may be formed at once by simply folding over the extensions, as described, and assembling the parts, the plates being secured together by any suitable fastener, as 0.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A spring-clasp frame consisting of sheetmetal plates provided with the sockets for the tongue-pivots formed therein by excisions in the edges of the plates and covered by the material of the plates whichis folded over the excisions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A spring-clasp frame composed of sheetmetal plates provided with excisions in its side arms or extensions, which are coincident with each other and which serve as sockets for the tongue-pivots when the side arms or extensions are folded over the excisions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A spring-clasp-frame blank having arms or extensions 0, provided with the excisions b, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The within-described springclasp, composed of a two-plate frame having forwardlyextended arms provided with pivot-sockets cut out of the metal of the side arms and the side arms folded back upon themselves, whereby auxiliary springs are provided by the lapping ends of the side arms, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the plates or a, having angular-shaped excisions b in the extensions c, the tongue '1, provided with the integral angularshaped pintles 1), held in the sockets formed by the excisions in the plates ma by folding the extensions 0 cf back over themselves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony WhereofI have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 19th day of May, 1887.

JACOB J. UNBEHEND.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, E. O. CANNON. 

